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'World's first' solar-powered rail line opens in the UK
Some trains in the UK are now running on a rail line powered entirely by a solar farm in what's said to be a world first. Around 100 panels are keeping the signaling and lights up and running on the track near Aldershot in Hampshire, and the project could be a precursor to solar-powered trains on the nation's network.
Facebook is financing a massive solar farm in Texas
Facebook is investing heavily in a massive solar farm in Texas as it rumbles towards its goal of running entirely on renewable energy by the end of next year. Renewables company Longroad Energy has started building the Prospero Solar project in Andrews County, Texas.
AI-guided material changes could lead to diamond CPUs
Scientists know that you can dramatically alter a crystalline material's properties by applying a bit of strain to it, but finding the right strain is another matter when there are virtually limitless possibilities. There may a straightforward solution, though: let AI do the heavy lifting. An international team of researchers has devised a way for machine learning to find strains that will achieve the best results. Their neural network algorithm predicts how the direction and degree of strain will affect a key property governing the efficiency of semiconductors, making them far more efficient without requiring educated guesses from humans.
This portable, solar-powered oven was built for the apocalypse
One of the things I love most about CES is the array of fascinating gadgets I come across. I'm talking stuff that's not a smartphone or a laptop. Case in point: this portable, solar-powered oven. GoSun's Fusion electric stove has an integrated heating system that can heat up to 550 degrees Farenheit, making it capable of cooking a meal within 20 minutes, with only sunshine as fuel. The company says the Fusion is five times more efficient than a traditional oven, and claims it can cook food with the same amount of energy needed to power a lightbulb.
Stanford AI found nearly every solar panel in the US
It would be impractical to count the number of solar panels in the US by hand, and that makes it difficult to gauge just how far the technology has really spread. Stanford researchers have a solution: make AI do the heavy lifting. They've crafted a deep learning system, DeepSolar, that mapped every visible solar panel in the US -- about 1.47 million of them, if you're wondering. The neural network-based approach turns satellite imagery into tiles, classifies every pixel within those tiles, and combines those pixels to determine if there are solar panels in a given area, whether they're large solar farms or individual rooftop installations.
California gives final approval to code requiring solar on new homes
While there was little doubt it would happen, it's now a done deal: California will require solar panels on most new homes. Officials at a December 5th Building Standards Commission meeting have voted for the new code, providing the last bit of approval necessary for the policy to take effect. New homes, condos and low-rise apartments will need eco-friendly power generation on their rooftops from January 1st, 2020 onward. The only exclusions are for homes that are either blocked by taller objects (like trees and tall buildings) or don't have room for panels.
Amazon announces recycling and green energy initiatives in US and UK
Amazon has announced two new green initiatives in the US and the UK aimed at reducing waste and its carbon footprint. In the US, the company shared plans to invest $10 million in Closed Loop Fund, which supports recycling infrastructure throughout the US. Amazon's investment will bring curbside recycling to three million additional homes and could keep as much as one million tons of recyclable material out of landfills by 2028.
Chernobyl’s uninhabitable land is the home of a new solar plant
In 1986, the world experienced its worst nuclear disaster to date when an accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exposed large swaths of Europe and the Soviet Union to radioactive material. The area around the now defunct plant is uninhabitable and humans won't be able to safely live there again for another 24,000 years. But that land isn't totally going to waste, as a small solar plant has now been constructed on the site.
Tesla closes solar installation centers as part of layoffs
Tesla's recently announced layoffs may hurt its solar panel business particularly hard. Reuters sources and leaked documents have revealed that Tesla is closing roughly a dozen solar installation centers in nine states as part of the job cuts. There will still be about 60 facilities left afterward, but this would also end a Home Depot partnership that was reportedly responsible for half of Tesla's sales in the category.
Samsung targets 100 percent renewable energy use by 2020
Samsung has announced plans to power its US, Europe and China operations entirely by renewable energy sources within two years. It's already making good on its sustainability commitment in Korea, where the company is installing 42,000 square meters of solar panels in its Digital City, and is working on generating geothermal power at Pyeongtaek campus and Hwaseong campus by 2020.
California to require solar panels on most new homes
There's no question that solar power is entering the mainstream, but California is about to give it a giant boost. The state's Energy Commission is expected to approve new energy standards that would require solar panels on the roofs of nearly all new homes, condos and apartment buildings from 2020 onward. There will be exemptions for homes that either can't fit solar panels or would be blocked by taller buildings or trees, but you'll otherwise have to go green if your property is brand new.
Google uses wind and solar to offset all of its operational energy use
In late 2016, Google announced that it expected to offset all of its office and data center electricity use with 100 percent renewable energy in 2017. Today, the company says it achieved that goal. Google has been working on reducing its carbon footprint and purchasing more renewable energy for some time. In 2007, it committed to being carbon neutral, which it did by purchasing solar and wind energy as well as carbon offsets, and throughout the years, it has reduced its reliance on offsets and purchased greater amounts of renewable energy. In 2017, for every kilowatt-hour of energy Google's operations consumed, it added a kilowatt-hour of solar and wind energy to the grid.
Researchers improve spinach-based solar cells by adding blackberry dye
Biohybrid solar cells aren't nearly as efficient as standard silicon panels, but including natural materials in renewable energy could make it more cost-effective. Scientists have refined one design based on the proteins in spinach leaves by adding natural dye extracted from blackberries, a combination which apparently produces much more voltage than the greens alone.
Tesla will create 'virtual power plant' with 50,000 Australian homes
Tesla isn't done bolstering Australia's power grid just because its giant battery farm is up and running. South Australia premier Jay Weatherill has unveiled a partnership that will provide 5kW solar panels and Tesla Powerwall 2 batteries to "at least" 50,000 homes in a bid to create the largest-ever "virtual power plant," where homes contribute their surplus energy to the grid. The move will theoretically stabilize the Australian state's electricity infrastructure, reducing the blackouts and surging prices that have plagued the region in recent times.
The state of solar installers after Trump’s tariff
Two days after President Donald Trump signed hefty tariffs on imported solar panels, a five-man team was hauling slabs of them up the outside of a brownstone in Brooklyn's Sunset Park. In below-freezing January winds, they set up steel tilt racks on the roof to hold 16 panels and wired the system to a solar inverter, making the power usable in the house and able to feed back into the electrical grid. The team from Brooklyn SolarWorks, an installation company with 21 full-time employees, finished the job around sunset.
Renewable energy may be cheaper than fossil fuels by 2020
Electricity from renewable sources will soon be cheaper than power from most fossil fuels, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). In its new report, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2017, the agency revealed that technology improvements, government take-up and proactive project development has pushed the costs associated with renewable energy to a new low, and that by 2020 renewable power will largely undercut fossil fuel.
Nearly all new US electricity capacity was renewable in 2017
Renewable energy played an important role in the US last year... although you might not want to cheer too loudly. Data from both the Rhodium Group and the Energy Information Administration shows that solar and wind power represented 94.7 percent of the net new electricity capacity (15.8GW out of 16.7GW) added in 2017. However, that's mainly because fossil fuel power continued to fade away. Electrek noted that plant closures removed 11.8GW of utility-scale fossil fuel power from the equation -- this was more a testament to the decline of coal than a triumph for green tech.
Thieves swipe a portion of China's solar road
Solar roads have plenty of potential problems, such as damage and snow, but theft? Apparently that's a concern, too. China's Qilu Evening News reported that thieves carved out a small (5.9in by 73in) portion of an experimental road in Jinan on January 2nd, a mere five days after its December 28th debut. While it's tempting to suggest this was an accident, officials said the missing segment was "neatly cut," and didn't appear to have come loose on its own.
Renewable energy outstripped coal use in the UK for most of 2017
The UK has been working to significantly reduce its carbon emissions and with that effort, it hit some major green milestones this year. In April, the country went a full day without coal-generated power for the first time in 135 years. And in June, the country saw more than half of its energy being generated by renewables (i.e. solar, wind, hydropower and biomass) for the first time.
Biolite's SolarHome 620 provides power for everyday essentials
BioLite has been leading a dual existence. While the Brooklyn-based company's been delivering off-the-grid accessories to your average camper, hiker and explorer, it's also been serving emerging markets where power may be scarce and clean cooking tools are life-saving essentials. Now, for the first time, the company is releasing a product for both markets at once following on-the-ground research in India and Sub-Saharan Africa. The BioLite SolarHome 620 provides power for lights, device charging, radio and music by harnessing the sun's rays. For some regions, this may be a game changer, but it's not without its uses in developed areas, either as an energy-saving alternative or a backup plan in case of power failures. The $150 product is being released today in limited quantities for the holidays, with a proper rollout planned for Spring/Summer 2018.
